LISTEN: Education experts are setting their priorities for the upcoming 2026 legislative session in the state capitol that begins Monday. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

Matt Smith

Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education's Matt Smith presents education advocates' 2026 list of 10 top Issues to watch.

Credit: Sarah Kallis/GPB News

Education experts are setting their priorities for the upcoming 2026 legislative session that begins Jan. 12.

Matt Smith, the director for policy and research for the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, unveiled the "Top 10 Issues" that education experts are watching this year under the Gold Dome at an event held at Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta on Friday. 

Smith said the list was crafted based on evidence.

"What are the high-impact strategies that would affect whether or not folks have educational attainment and personal wellbeing and economic stability?" Smith said.

Issues include everything from incentivizing more teachers to work in Georgia to improving literacy to maximizing the benefits of college.

Education is the No. 1 expense in the state’s overall budget each year. Leaders in the Legislature have indicated that literacy rates and early childhood education will be their priorities in 2026.

Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods also spoke at the event, and signaled his support for a proposal floated by lawmakers to extend the state's school cellphone ban through high school. 

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